David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.

15 October 2010

We presented this one in our 2009 Christmas Eve offering, Along the Blogian Way. ( here ) It is from the United States, circa 1890s, from a genre known as the Trade Card. It is shown as it was acquired, with no addition or subtraction, no secondary projection.

On October 4 we visted the same scene with a psycho-commercial overlay. Not only that, we were also urged to discover in the abounding environment...

What else might be there, it seems to ask? Everything, seen and unseen?

Here's the same scene again, as part of a Projection-Space Journey set. From the mountains to the sea. It features a text installation series by the late-19th century artist collective P.P. Senour & Co which anticipates, as it were, the readymades of Marcel Duchamp, the readymade paintings of Robert MacPherson and the journeys of Richard Long.

04 October 2010

Heading home after a prolonged period in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final and its replay, these three St Kilda supporters pause to consider the advertiser's art.

In recent weeks we've looked at a number of these Public Projection-Spaces. We've seen one decorated with red and blue Burra ballons; another used as a prop by French performance artists; and now this one, exploited by the Field of Desire Cigarette Company.